Fruitxpacking  machine



(Nd Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. N. CLARK.

- FRUIT PACKING MACHINE.

Patented Oct. 30, 1888.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. N. CLARK.

FRUIT PAGKING MACHINE. No. 392,106. Patented 001;. 30, 1888-.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets- Sheet 3.

A. N. CLARK.

FRUIT PACKING MACHINE. No. 392,106. Patented 0013. 30, 1888.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

A. N. CLARK.

FRUIT PACKING MACHINE.

I No. 392,106. Patented 001;. 30, 1888.

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ALLISON N. CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

FRUHT PAGKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,106, dated Qcteber30, 1888- Application filed February 2'7, 1388. Serial No. 265.615. (N0model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALLISON N. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plainville, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FruitPacking Machines,which improvements are fully set forth and described inthe following specification, reference being had to the accompanyingfour sheets of drawings.

This invention has for its object the prod uction of a machine for usein boxing oranges and similar fruits, and seeks to provide a device thatshall lessen in a considerable degree thelabor incident to such work.Combined in said machine are devices for pressing down the fruit withinthe box, for delivering the hoops or straps under suitable tension, andfor holding and rotating said box.

So far as I am familiar with the methods of packing oranges for shipmentto market, such labor has been most commonly done heretofore by firstplacing the fruit in the box and then pressing down and nailing thecover. The package thus formed is then ready to receive the straps,which are usually wooden hoops, which must be water-soaked aconsiderable time to render them pliable and capable of turning theangular corners without breaking. This soaking process leaves such hoopsslippery and unpleasant to handle, and

a most woods used for the purpose are certain to stain the hands of theuser. These wooden hoops (usually three in number) are fastened to thebox by nailing'at one end, and are then drawn taut one at a time andthoroughly nailed. In carrying such hoops around the four corners of thebox it becomes necessary to lift or roll said box several times, which,with drawing the hoops taut and holding them so while nailing, rendersthe operation of boxing a very laborious one. A great part of such laboris avoided, or, rather, is performed mechanically, by my new form ofmachine.

In order to explain said invention more clearly, I have annexed heretofour sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of saidmachine with an orange-box supported therein, having the binding-stripsattached to said box as in the act of strapping it. The cam G, by meansof which the spurs on disk (7/ are forced into the end of the box, isremoved to show more spectively, a side elevation and longitudinalsection of one of the tension devices which govern the delivery of thebanding from the reels. Fig. 6 shows the several reels of banding, theshaft on which they are located, and

the supporting -frames A B as they appear from the rear side of themachine. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detached view of a portion ofone of thebanding-reels. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the upper portion of thestandard E from the rear side, and is provided to illustrate theconstruction and location of the spring pressed pawl N. In Fig. 9 I-have shown a perspective view of the plate S,wh1ch assists in pressingdown the cover and fruit, as hereinafter described in detail. In Figs.10 and 11 I have shown a different means of supporting said plate 8.

Referring to said drawings, the letters A B indicate cast-metal frames,in or on which the operative parts of my machine are located andsupported.

0 indicates a bed or table extending from one of said main frames to itscompanion and securely bolted thereto. Said frames arcfurther stiffenedand connected by tie-bolts a a a.

Secured on table (3 are standards E E, the distance between them beingsomewhat greater than the length of the box to be handled. Thesestandards are formed with confronting journal-bearings I) Z), in whichare located journals c a, carrying face-plates d 61', whose inner facesare provided with spurs. (See Fig. 1.) In practice the spur-centers thusformed are forced into the ends of the box, and the journals c c thenprovide a convenient means by which said box may be rotated to strap andnail it. The forcing of said spurs into the ends of the box is effectedby cams, as best illustrated in Figs. l and 2.

The principal cam G is located at the right hand of the operator, and issupported by a stud or stem which is rotatably stepped in an extension,0, of the standard E. A handle, f,

projects from said cam within easy reach of the operator in charge.Swiveled to the outer end of the journal 0 is a yoke, G which encirclesthe cam G. In Figs. 1 and 2 the handle f is shown as swung forward toforce the spurs of the face-plate d into a box. To withdraw said spurs,it is only necessary to swing handlef outward intolongitudinal alignmentwith journal 0. The cam G at the left-hand of the machine is of somewhatsimpler construction, being hung in lugs 9, formed as a part of standardE. Said cam is provided with an operating-handle, f, which is depressedto force the disk (1 inward toward the box and elevated to release saiddisk.

Secured to the inner sides of the main frames A B are frames IIl':l,whose confronting edges are grooved to form ways in which a frame,J may move vertically. This frame has secured to it arms h h, whichproject upward through the fixed table 0 and support a movable table, D,of a size sufficient to receive the box to be strapped. The frame J andits attached parts may be elevated by a system of levers, treadle, andknuckle-j oints. Best illustrated in Fig. 1.) The knuckle proper isformed of a two-part jointed rod, t i,one of whose ends is hinged inlugs 7.; on the rear side of frame J, the other (lower) end beingpivoted in a stand, L, secured to the floor. This stand Lis indicated bydotted lines in Fig. l. Pivoted also in said stand is an angle-lever,one of whose arms, m, is connected at its free end with thejoint of rodi t. Thelonger or horizontal arm, m, of said angle-leveris formed as afoot-treadle, m". When suitable pressure is applied to depress saidtreadle, the jointed rod 2 t" is straightened and the table D is carriedupward.

The disk d (which I have described above as provided with spurs to enterthe box) is formed with ratchet-teeth n on its outer edge, and withsimilar teeth, it, on its outer face, which latter teeth are engaged bya pawl, N, seated in a boss, 0, formed on one side of the standard E.This pawl N is forced outward into the path of said teeth at by a spiralspring, The teeth a on the periphery of disk d are engaged by ahook-shaped pawl, P, whose lower end is pivoted to a foot-lever, B. Thisfoot-lever is hinged to the main frame A,and is held in its elevatedposition by a spiral spring, q, attached to one of the tie-bolts. Asecond spring, 8, may also be provided to draw pawl P inward and hold itin engagementwith its ratchet-disk. The office of pawl P is to partiallyrotate the box during the act of strapping it, while the spring-pressedpawl or bolt N is provided to check the box in any desired position andhold it against the strain of the banding, or, in other words, toprevent said box from turning backward.

The banding which I prefer to use is of thin tough metal, and is drawnfrom reels located on ashaft, 15, supported in frames A B at the rear ofthe machine. These reels are formed with a hub, 22, having a series ofradial arms, 0', with laterally-projecting arms if, on which the coiledbanding T is placed. Guard-arms w are then secured to arms 22 byset-screws w, to prevent the accidental displacement of the banding andto insure its free delivery. The reels of handing thus provided arelocated in vertical alignment with the ends and center of the box to bestrapped and pass upward through tension devices secured to a tie-bolt,z, and thence to the upper side of the box. (See Fig. 1.) Said tensiondevices consist, in brief, of a cast-metal frame, 2, bored to fit thetiebolt z, and secured thereto by a set-screw, 3. The upper portion offrame 2 is formed as a yoke, which is tapped to receive anadjusting-screw, 4. The banding T passes under said yoke,as illustratedin Fig. 5, and is prevented from running too freely by a bow-spring,5,interposed between said banding and the end of the screw 4, abovereferred to. By turning said screw home the spring 5 is flattenedagainst the banding, affording a degree of friction amply sufficient todraw the banding taut around the box as said box is rotated.

Hinged in bearings 6 beneath the machine is a frame, 7, whose free endsupports a plate, 8, which when not in service is swung to the left-handside, as in Fig. 2. This plate 8 is provided to furnish a substantialbacking or support for the cover when the box is forced up to saidcover, as hereinafter set forth.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have illustrated a modification of my invention inwhich the said plate 8 is provided with trunnions, and is hinged to therear side of the standards E E, the said standards being shaped toreceive and support said trunnions. Fig. 10 is an end View of standard Eand a portion of frame A, and shows the plate 8 in its elevatedposition, as during the act of strapping a box. Fig. 11 is an elevationof the right-hand portion of said parts as they appear from the frontside. Said plate 8 is held normally in an upright position by a spiralspring, 9, coiled about one of the trunnions, and secured at its ends tostandard E and the said plate. (See Fig. 11.) WVhen it is desired to useplate 8, it is swung downward until'its free side snaps under aspring-catch, 10, which holds it securely in a horizontal position untilreleased by withdrawingsaidspring-catch. Thespiralspringflthenimmediately carries the plate upward and rearward out of the operatorsway during the process of strapping a box.

Having now described the general construction of my new form of machine,I will proceed to describe the manner of using it.

The fruit is first packed within the box with the upper layer projectingabove, so that when the cover is forced down the fruit is tightly packedtogether, so that it cannot work loose and become jammed while intransit to its destination. The box thus packed is placed on thevertically-movable table D, the cover is laid thereon, and the plate 8swung inward IIO until it lies on or over said cover. The box is thenelevated to a position between the disks d cl by pressing down thetreadle in, which actuates the knuckle t i and frame J, as beforedescribed. During this action the cover is firmly backed by the plate 8,and as the box comes up to said cover the fruit is pressed tightlydownward within the box. While the box is in this elevated position thecams at each end of the machine are moved to force the disks d d inwardand cause their spurs to enter the box ends. After tacking the cover tothe box sufficiently to retain it in position the plate Sis swung aside.The operator then removes his foot from the treadle m and allows table Dto drop to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, leaving the boxsuspended on journals 0 c and capable of being easily rotated. The endsof the banding T are now brought to the top of the box and nailed, afterwhich the operator presses down the foot-lever It, and thus, by means ofthe hook-shaped pawl P and its ratchet-disk d, the box is rotated untilits rear side comes to the top. As

, said box rotates, it draws with it the strips of banding, which arethen securely nailed, and this operation is repeated until the box is encircled by the banding, which is then cut by means of a suitablehand-tool. Table D is now raised to the box, the spur-centers arewithdrawn from the ends, and the box thus packed and strapped may beremoved.

It should be noted that no lifting or handling of the box is necessaryfrom the time it is first lifted to the table D until it is removedcompletely strapped. By thus supporting and rotating the boxmechanically during the operation of strapping, the operators hands areleft free to use the nails and hammer and to adjust the banding, ifnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and wish to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A. vertically-movable table and mechanism, as setforth, for elevating the same, in combination with the plate 8 and itssupporting-rods 7, hinged below the machine proper, spurred diskssupported in standards at each end of said table, and cams for actuatingsaid disks to support a box, substantially as and for the objectspecified.

2. In combination with fixed table 0, standards seated at each end ofsaid table, journals 0 c, fitted therein and capable of both rotary andlongitudinal movement, spurred disks (1 d on the inner ends of saidjournals, and earns G G, for actuating said journals and disks,as hereindescribed.

3. In combination with fixed table 0, standards seated thereon at eachend, journals 0 c, fitted in said standards, spurred disks d d on theinner ends of said journals, the latter, (1,

being formed with peripheral ratchet-teeth, cams, as described, foractuating said journals longitudinally, a footlever, It, and a pawlconnecting said foot-lever and the said peripheral teeth, all beingsubstantially as herein specified.

4. In combination with the standards E E, journals cc, fitted therein,carrying spurred disks, as set forth, one of said disks being formedwith ratchet-teeth on both periphery and face, cams G G, for moving saidjournals longitudinally, a spring-pressed pawl for engaging said faceratchet-teeth, afoot-lever hinged beneath the machine proper, and a pawlconnecting said foot-lever and said peripheral ratchet-teeth, all beingsubstantially as herein described, and for the obj eets specified.

5. In combination with the standards E E, journals 0 0. fitted therein,carrying spurred disks, as set forth, cams G G, for moving said journalslongitudinally, mechanism consisting of pawls and ratchet-teeth, asdescribed, for controlling the rotary movement of saidjournals, andbanding-reelslocated adjacent to said journals, as herein described, andfor the purpose specified.

6. In combination with standards EE, j ournals c c, fittedtherein,carrying spurred disks, as set forth,cams G G, for moving saidjournals longitudinally,mechanism,consisting of pawls and ratchet-teeth,as set forth, for controlling the rotary movement of said journals,banding-reels located adjacent to said journals, and tension devices inthe path of the banding, consisting of spring friction-clamps controlledby adj ustingscrews, substantially ashercin specified.

7. In combination with standards E E, journals c c, fittedtherein,carrying spurred disks, as set forth,cams G G, for moving saidjournals longitudinally, banding-reels located adjacent to saidjournals, a vertically-movable table located between said standards, andmechanism, consisting of levers and knuckle-joint,for elevating saidtable, as described, and for the objects set forth.

8. A vertically-movable table and mechanism, as set forth, for elevatingthe same, in combination with the plate 8 and its supporting-rods 7,hinged below the maehiue-table, spurred disks d d, supported instandards at each end of said table, cams G G, for moving said disks toembrace and support a box, and a series of banding-reels located in therear of the machine proper adjacent to said disks, all beingsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ALLISON N. CLARK.

Witnesses:

Mrs. G. B. MAGRUDER, O. B. MAGRUDER.

IIO

